Sanctification
Sanctification is a general term for a process that creates a specific kind of magical girl. It is usually associated with Good, Light, or Order, and is generally the polar opposite of Corruption. Overview In the general form of Sanctification, a magical girl makes a voluntary Oath to follow some form of restriction - usually some kind of virtue or noble cause, or the commandments of a specific deity. In return, the girl gains power above and beyond the average magical girl - for example, holy weapons, sacred armor, a "sixth sense" for Corruption, among others. So long as the Sanctified magical girl upholds her Oath, she will find the strength within her to overcome any obstacle. Breaking that Oath, however, will lead to punishment. There are many forms of Sanctification. Most of them are enforced by some form of "higher power", which grants the Sanctified girl's powers and punishes her when the Oath is broken. Most forms of Sanctification will be a part of the magical girl's initial contract, but not always. Post-transformation Sanctification usually overwrites the magical girl's previous contract - to the ire of her previous employer - but again, not always; there are many stories of girls struggling to uphold their Oaths while obeying their previous contract. Overall, it is merely another form of contract - another way of making a deal for power. Whether it is "better" than others is left as an exercise for the reader. Sanctification and Beacon - the White Coin In many Realms, Sanctification is most commonly associated with Beacon. Not all Beacon girls are Sanctified, but the vast majority of them are. The common explanation is that Beacon simply attracts the kind of girl who would probably choose to be Sanctified anyway; however, some records show that past iterations of Beacon have required Sanctification for new members, and the practice likely survives in some Outposts. Among Beacons, the most common method of Sanctification is the White Coin. The White Coin is a special magical coin manufactured and distributed by the Beaconchuu, often during initial recruitment. The White Coin can be used as a catalyst for an initial transformation, or taken after; if taken after it does not overwrite any previous contracts. Using the White Coin is commonly described as unlocking a "Spark" deep within oneself. Sanctified Beacons describe reaching out to the Spark and taking it in their hands, and then making an Oath. The Oath isn't decided on consciously - it comes instinctively into the mind of the girl who simply "knows" that it's correct. However, a girl does have to make a conscious decision to say it. If she refuses, the process is canceled, though she can try again at any point. If she accepts, the contract is made, and in return for being held to her Oath she can tap into the power of that Spark. Oaths made through the White Coin are universally simple. Though the exact words change, at their core all Oaths made on the White Coin revolve around upholding a Virtue. Some common virtues are: * Protection * Justice * Truth * Mercy * Hope * Remembrance * Order * Peace ...though there are many others. Usually, the Virtue chosen will align with a girl's personality - one who focuses on healing others might choose Mercy, while one who hunts down monsters for their crimes might choose Justice. So long as a girl upholds her Virtue, she can tap into her Spark for extra power. This usually adds a "good" or "holy" effect to her powers - white flames, light like sunshine, and so on. Her weapons and armor will also change to reflect her new abilities, and they will become additionally effective against Corruption and other "evil" forces. She also gains also gains an "aura" that reflects her Virtue. Finally, she gains a "sixth sense" for Corruption - less of a conscious sense, and more of an instinct, a heightened awareness of subtle clues that something is wrong. On the other hand, failing to uphold one's Virtue leads to feelings of shame, guilt, and self-recimination. These might be feelings that she would have anyway, but thanks to the Oath they are amplified several times over. Continual or large-scale failure can lead to crippling depression and serious, even permanent, psychological damage. As the saying goes, there's a reason that most of the patients at Echoes are Beacons. On the upside, the Oath is otherwise very lightly enforced - unless a girl completely rejects her Virtue, in which case the results are...let's just say that these cases are rarely talked about. A unique feature of the White Coin is that there is a certain amount of flexibility in the strength of the Oath. Generally, the stronger the Oath taken by the girl, the more power she’ll be able to draw from her Spark. It is common for Sanctified Beacons to “re-affirm” their Oath in desperate times when they require additional power, trading stricter requirements for more power. However, this is a one-way process: the Oath will not relax when she no longer needs that power. Among Beacons, those who follow their Virtues particularly closely – and receive power to match – are commonly referred to as “Paragons”. Paragons are often seen as role models, the pinnacle of purity, and are among the most powerful Beacons; however, their single-minded dedication to their Virtues can often cause conflict with other girls. The exact nature of White Coin Sanctification is still unknown. There are those who claim that the process is nothing but a placebo, and that both the power and effects come from the girl herself. Some think that both come from a higher power, a deity that is represented by the Beaconchuu. Among Sanctified Beacons, though, the biggest question – which, by unspoken rule, is rarely voiced – is how much of an influence, exactly, the Oath has on their minds. We know that it punishes them for failing…but does it also push them in other, more subtle ways? Do they seek out the work that they do because it is what they want, or because it fulfills the Oath? Would they still be a similar person, they wonder, if they hadn’t taken that Oath? Would they still want the things they want, do the things they do? Are they still doing what’s “right” of their own will? Is the little voice in their heads…really their own? The Beaconchuu, of course, have nothing to say on the matter.